From A Journey of Dragons, here is the dragon Sytherek’s consideration of the kehklik, a unique species in the lands of Syraqua…
Sytherek lay atop a mesa, head held high, motionless except for his searching eyes. His perch offered an exceptional view of two neighboring kehklik hives, one young, one old. Recent events had rekindled his interest in the creatures. He observed, contemplated, and formed hypotheses; later would come elegant experiments, in which humans might play an involuntary role. His goal, befitting his species, was nothing less than liberating the hidden potential of the kehklik. Brother Symurall could play with the silly humans who’d washed up on the beach; Sytherek’s grand plans involved the evolution of something new.
The hives lay at the edge of kehklik territory; they were entirely separate, each with its own queen and distinct population. The older hive was the healthier and larger of the two. A lone proto-queen had established the younger hive, only twenty years earlier, without apparent assistance, extending her species’ domain. Across thousands of square leagues, hundreds of hives lay scattered. The distance between colonies was almost a constant: an hour, as measured by the relaxed flight of a dragon. It was as if no kehklik would travel more than a dozen leagues from its queen. When circumstances forced a kehklik outside its home territory, the likely result was confusion or even insanity. Behavior was universal; any kehklik colony could replace another, and the change would hardly be noticeable.
That is, except for a remarkable exception: The hive at Jozin’s Peak.
Sytherek once again rebuked himself for failing to monitor the kehklik hives along the coast. He’d never had faith in Symurall’s plan to isolate the humans of Tramora; however, rather than oppose his brother, Sytherek had implemented a private backup plan. Taking proto-queens and placing them along Syraqua’s northern shores, he’d created a defense against human incursion. As many years passed, his attention was drawn away by other concerns, and the hives had been left to their own devices. Only one guardian hive survived, near Jozin’s Peak. In a strange turn of fate, that lone colony had grown to unusual magnificence in isolation; it had even attempted to fulfill its intended destiny, thwarted only by Symurall’s intercession on behalf of Kaylen’s people. Yet in their defeat, the kehklik had demonstrated unexpected, original, strategic thought – proof that a key existed to unlock the sentience of the kehklik. Sytherek treasured that discovery, grudgingly admitting gratitude – rather than annoyance – for his brother’s actions. He would find a way to recreate that key, and apply it to other hives.
Other mysteries lacked answers as well. The finale of The Reckoning, the unprecedented and unique kehklik assault on humanity – that, too, required an explanation, in case he had need of such power…
Read more at A Journey of Dragons.
